The invention relates to a method for examining the interaction between molecules and electromagnetic fields with the aid of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), as well as to a device for realizing said method.
The nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and the imaging based thereon, which is also referred to as MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), makes it possible to characterize the molecular properties and to identify the atomic components of a sample, based on the interactions between magnetic fields and the molecules contained in a sample.
Pulsed, high-frequency fields with amplitudes of up to 100 T are used for generating external magnetic fields which are necessary for realizing the aforementioned method, for example see “Concepts in Magnetic Resonance 19B, 2003, page 9. To be sure, magnetic fields with higher amplitudes would be desirable, but cannot be achieved in this way. The sensitivity of the method using nuclear magnetic resonance is subject to the Boltzman Statistics and increases with increasing flux density. At room temperature and with a flux density of approximately 20 T, only one of approximately 105 atomic cores contributes to the signal. The magnetic field gradients which are additionally required for the local resolution are too low below the μm range for the microscopy/nanoscopy and for the micro-spectroscopy/nano-spectroscopy.
According to the document by D. Suter and J. Mlynek, Laser Excitation and Detection of Magnetic Resonance, Adv. in Magn. and Opt. Resonance, 16, pp 1-12, 1991, atomic cores located in a constant magnetic field experience a break in symmetry which results in the Zeemann splitting. The consequently formed energy levels can be optically excited, manipulated and detected with respect to their fine structure. The use of a laser in this case opens up the option of examining new properties, e.g. relating to a different spatial expansion, band width or induced emission.